Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag PS3 vs Xbox 360 Comparison

So Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is going to be released on PS3 and Xbox 360 soon. What about the difference between PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 version? We have got our hands on screenshots for Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag PS3 vs Xbox 360 comparison.

Assassin’s Creed 3 was native 720p on both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It ran with an unlocked frame rate, which usually resulted in a judder when frame rate dipped below the targeted 30 fps. The beginning area of Assassin’s Creed 3 was the biggest culprit here as it caused frame rate dips outta nowhere. The problem of frame rate dropping in the Boston area happened with the PC version as well and was later fixed with a patch.

What about Assassin’s Creed IV? How does it fare in term of performance to Assassin’s Creed 3? We have got our hands on screenshots that compare both versions of the game.

Right from the start, it is pretty obvious that both versions are rendering at native 1280×720(720p) frame buffer. There is no visible difference in term of the character models and texture quality between the two platforms. They are a match on every front. The difference between both version again comes down to certain points.

First of all, foliage details seems to have been pared down on PS3 compared to Xbox 360. Considering we see this in almost most of the multiplatform titles, it is not surprising to see the same here. The last game with the same pared down foliage details was Grand Theft Auto V. The palm trees were pared down on PS3 compared to Xbox 360 but this minor difference won’t matter here as the impact is minimal.

According to the game director of Assassin’s Creed IV, the ocean in Assassin’s Creed IV is fully physics simulated. Considering the scope of the game, this task might seem a bit out of hand on the current generation consoles. Comparing the screenshot of the ocean for both version of the game, it seems like the ocean feels more alive and simulated on the PS3 compared to Xbox 360. It makes far more waves and looks far more impressive as well, just like a real ocean. We assume this comes down to the difference between the cell processor of PS3, which is pretty useful for physics calculations. For a game that relies heavily on sailing in a large ocean, it is disappointing to see the ocean toned down on the Xbox 360.

When it comes down to the post process anti aliasing techniques employed by both version, the Xbox 360 seems to edge out PS3. The solution employed on Xbox 360 results in a slightly smoother presentation with less jaggies compared to the PS3 version. Regardless, both version seems to be employing the same post-process AA solution here with the Xbox 360 version taking a short lead here.

The draw distance and LOD is almost a match between both versions of the game. Neither one of them have a visible advantage here.